Nigel Farage has vowed to deliver the Brexit 17.4 million people voted for if he becomes Prime Minister.
The Reform UK leader said the country needs a government that believes in being outside the EU so its full potential can truly be unleashed.
His rallying cry comes on the fifth anniversary of Britain’s historic departure from the European Union.
In a video message to Daily Express readers to mark the occasion Mr Farage said Brexit has not yet been delivered properly.
“It’s not been delivered and if I sat here five years ago I’d have said to you in five years’ time I’d be retired, I’d be out, I’d have done my bit, my 27 years of campaigning finally paid off,” he said.
Nigel Farage speaks to the Express to mark the fifth anniversary of Brexit (Image: Daily Express)
“But I’m back and I’m back because we now need people in charge to deliver the Brexit we voted for who actually believe in it.”
Mr Farage uses his tub-thumping message to take a swipe at his political rivals for failing to make the most of our Brexit freedoms.
“We know Labour were opposed, Starmer wanted a second referendum, Liberal Democrats the same,” he said.
“But I frankly look now at Boris Johnson, Kemi Badenoch, all of these people, I don’t think they ever really believed in it.
“I think they used it as a vehicle to win a general election, which I helped them do. They never really believed in it.
“They always kind of saw it I think a bit more as damage limitation rather than an opportunity.
“I’m here to say I’m disappointed, you watching this will be disappointed, we can do so much better and we’re the guys to do it.”
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Boris Johnson (Image: Getty Images)
Support for Reform UK is soaring with an exclusive Daily Express Whitestone Insight poll this week showing the party could become the official opposition with 118 seats after the next general election.
A poll by Find Out Now puts the party on 27% and predicts it will get 212 seats at the next election, which is expected in four years time.
But Mr Farage and his party have set their sights on government and are confident they will be victorious in 2029.
He says the “first thing” to make the most of Brexit is to secure a trade deal with America.
The Brexiteer said the UK needs to have a “modern 21st century economy” which can only be achieved by a “total transformation of energy policy”.
“We must have no more population growth through immigration – as simple as that,” he added. “If we do those things we’ll have at least delivered what people wanted.”
Mr Farage there have been some Brexit “disappointments” which need fixing.
Brexiteers sing patriotic songs as they celebrate the moment the UK leaves EU (Image: Getty Images)
“Most people voting Brexit did so because they saw the population explosion in Britain that was happening and they wanted to get control of the borders,” he said.
“Since we left we’ve had 130,000 young men cross the English Channel in small boats, net migration reaching one million in 2023 and a lot of people, myself included, see that as a total betrayal of what the Brexit vote was.”
Mr Farage said more also needs to be done to help British businesses.
“Five and a half million men and women out there running small businesses, acting as self-employed, the expectation was life would get easier, it hasn’t.
“Everything from financial services through to fisheries is probably more difficult than it was.
“So I don’t for a minute believe Brexit was the wrong thing to do, absolutely not.
“When I look at the state that Europe’s in at the moment, they’re literally disagreeing on everything and if you think our economy is bad have a look across the Channel.”
Britain finally left the EU on January 31, 2020. It marked a huge victory for this newspaper, following a tireless crusade to free Britain from the shackles of Brussels.
Heaping praise on the Daily Express and our readers, Mr Farage highlighted our “historic” front page in 2010 demanding Britain should quit the EU.
“It was mocked, the Express was mocked, by the rest of Fleet Street, mocked by the BBC, ITV, Sky. But along with me you guys were ahead of the curve.
“And I think Express readers want the same as what I want, they want what we voted for, not what we’ve been given.”
There have been some successes because of Brexit, Mr Farage highlights, including the UK “standing taller” in the world.
He cites the Aukus nuclear submarine tie-up with Australia and the USA as a deal “we could never have done as an EU member”.
And he said Britain was able to take a “very big lead” on Ukraine while EU nations were squabbling over their response.
Britain’s success in getting a Covid vaccine out more quickly than any other country during the pandemic was made possible because of Brexit, he said.
Nigel Farage Vows to Properly Deliver Brexit – and He Says He Knows Exactly How to Do It
Nigel Farage has renewed his promise to deliver what he describes as the full benefits of Brexit, arguing that Britain’s departure from the European Union has not yet produced the changes promised to voters during the 2016 referendum campaign.
The Reform UK leader has made sovereignty, immigration control and the removal of European Union regulations central to his political programme. He argues that successive Conservative and Labour governments have failed to make sufficient use of the powers Britain recovered after leaving the bloc, leaving many Leave voters frustrated with the results.
In a statement published by Reform UK on 24 June 2026, Farage set out what he would do if he became prime minister. His proposals included removing EU-derived regulations from British law, withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, tightening border controls and abandoning the government’s Net Zero targets. He also promised to make greater use of North Sea resources to improve energy security and reduce costs. <Cite refs={[“turn969432view0”]}/>
These proposals represent Farage’s attempt to redefine the Brexit debate. Rather than arguing that Britain should leave the European Union again, he insists that the country has already secured formal independence but has not fully used it.
However, the question of what constitutes a successful Brexit remains contested. Supporters of closer relations with the EU argue that practical cooperation can improve trade and economic growth without reversing the referendum result. Farage believes that such cooperation risks undermining the independence Brexit was intended to deliver.
Farage’s argument: Britain has not fully used Brexit
The 2016 referendum resulted in 51.9 per cent of voters choosing to leave the European Union, compared with 48.1 per cent who voted to remain. The UK formally left the bloc on 31 January 2020, with its new trading relationship taking effect at the end of that year.
For Farage, those dates mark the completion of only the first stage of the process. His argument is that leaving the EU was supposed to give Britain greater control over its borders, laws, regulations and public finances.
In his June statement, he accused successive governments of failing to deliver those objectives. He presented Reform as the party most committed to using the UK’s post-Brexit powers, particularly on immigration and domestic regulation. <Cite refs={[“turn969432view0″,”turn969432view1”]}/>
The distinction is important. Britain is no longer an EU member, but its economic and diplomatic relationship with the bloc continues to affect businesses, consumers and public policy.
The government can choose to diverge from EU rules in many areas. However, doing so may also affect the ability of British businesses to sell goods into European markets, depending on the sector and the rules involved.
Farage argues that Britain should prioritise regulatory independence even where that means moving away from European standards. Critics contend that selectively aligning with EU rules can sometimes reduce barriers to trade and support economic growth.
The debate is therefore about how the powers acquired through Brexit should be used, rather than whether Britain remains an EU member.
Immigration and border control at the centre of the plan
Immigration is one of the most prominent elements of Farage’s vision for what he calls a properly implemented Brexit.
During the referendum campaign, supporters of leaving the EU argued that departure would allow Britain to end the EU principle of free movement and establish its own immigration system. Britain subsequently introduced a points-based system that applies to most immigration routes, including many routes for EU citizens.
Farage nevertheless argues that successive governments have failed to deliver the degree of control voters expected. In his June 2026 statement, he criticised the record on immigration and promised to strengthen border enforcement. <Cite refs={[“turn969432view0″,”turn969432view1”]}/>
Reform has also pledged to stop small-boat crossings within the first 100 days of a Reform government. Its proposed approach includes a larger role for the armed forces, stronger action against people-smuggling networks and changes intended to facilitate removals.
The party says the UK’s departure from the EU provides the legal and political freedom to take a tougher approach. Yet the practical implementation of these proposals would still depend on domestic law, international obligations and cooperation with other countries.
Leaving the EU did not automatically remove every legal constraint on immigration policy. The European Convention on Human Rights, for example, is a separate international treaty from the EU treaties.
Any government seeking to withdraw from international agreements or change its approach to asylum claims would need to address the legal consequences and the effect on existing arrangements.
Reform’s proposal to remove EU-derived regulations
Farage has also promised to remove EU regulations from British law, presenting regulatory independence as an important part of Brexit.
The UK retained many rules that originated in EU legislation after departure, in part because continuity was necessary to avoid immediate disruption. Over time, Parliament has acquired greater freedom to amend or replace those rules.
Reform’s stated ambition is to use that freedom more extensively. The party argues that removing unnecessary regulations could reduce burdens on businesses, encourage investment and allow British industries to operate under rules better suited to domestic conditions. <Cite refs={[“turn969432view0”]}/>
The challenge lies in deciding which regulations should be removed and what should replace them.
Some rules govern domestic matters and can be changed with limited consequences for international trade. Others concern product safety, food standards, chemicals, environmental requirements or technical specifications that businesses must meet to access particular markets.
If Britain adopts different standards from the EU, companies selling into both markets may have to comply with two regulatory systems. That could create additional costs even where domestic rules become less restrictive.
Conversely, targeted regulatory changes could provide benefits where existing requirements are unnecessarily burdensome.
The outcome would depend on the detail of the proposals, the sectors affected and the extent to which businesses could adapt. A general promise to remove EU-derived rules does not, by itself, establish how much money would be saved or how many new jobs might be created.
The European Convention on Human Rights dispute
One of Farage’s most consequential proposals is to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, which he argues restricts the government’s ability to enforce immigration law.
The convention is not an EU institution. It was established under the Council of Europe, a separate organisation, and the UK remains a member despite leaving the European Union.
Farage wants Reform to withdraw from the convention as part of a wider programme of legal and constitutional change. He argues that the current arrangements can obstruct deportations and limit the government’s ability to implement its border policies. <Cite refs={[“turn969432view0”]}/>
Supporters of withdrawal say it could give Parliament and the government greater freedom to design immigration and deportation rules. Opponents warn that leaving would raise questions about human-rights protections, international cooperation and the UK’s wider legal commitments.
Withdrawal would not automatically resolve every obstacle to deportation. Decisions can also involve domestic legislation, individual circumstances, diplomatic arrangements and the laws of receiving countries.
Any government pursuing this policy would need to explain how it intended to replace or amend existing protections and how its proposals would interact with other international agreements.
The issue therefore extends beyond immigration alone. It concerns the balance between parliamentary authority, executive power and the legal safeguards available to individuals.
Energy, the North Sea and Net Zero
Farage’s Brexit programme also includes energy policy. He has promised to scrap Net Zero targets and make greater use of North Sea oil and gas resources, arguing that this would improve energy security and help reduce costs for households and businesses. <Cite refs={[“turn969432view0”]}/>
Reform has presented this approach as a way to reduce reliance on imported energy and support British industry. Its argument is that domestic production should play a larger role in meeting the country’s energy needs.
The proposal raises economic and environmental questions. Greater domestic production can affect the UK’s exposure to international supply disruptions, but oil and gas prices are also influenced by global markets. Additional domestic production therefore does not automatically guarantee lower bills.
The longer-term consequences would depend on investment, production costs, infrastructure and the evolution of energy demand.
Critics of abandoning Net Zero targets argue that doing so could weaken incentives for investment in low-carbon technologies and create uncertainty for businesses planning long-term projects. Reform disputes the current approach and argues that energy policy should prioritise affordability and reliability.
These disagreements illustrate the broader challenge facing Farage’s programme: translating the principle of greater national control into policies with measurable economic effects.
Andy Burnham and the renewed Brexit debate
Farage has also used the debate over the UK’s future relationship with Europe to criticise Labour.
In October 2026, he attacked Prime Minister Andy Burnham after Burnham reopened discussion about possible options for Britain’s future relationship with Brussels. Farage argued that closer integration could undermine the sovereignty promised by Brexit and provide Reform with an opportunity to attract voters concerned about the direction of government policy. <Cite refs={[“turn200285search5″,”turn200285search6”]}/>
The disagreement reflects competing interpretations of what Brexit should mean in practice.
Farage maintains that the country should preserve its freedom to make independent decisions and resist arrangements that he believes would bring it closer to EU control.
Supporters of a closer relationship argue that cooperation on trade, energy, security and other practical matters can deliver benefits while Britain remains outside the EU, the single market and the customs union.
The distinction between cooperation and membership is central to the dispute. Negotiating shared arrangements in a particular sector does not automatically mean rejoining the European Union, although some forms of alignment can involve trade-offs over regulatory freedom.
The political question is how much cooperation is worthwhile and what safeguards should apply to protect domestic decision-making.
Can Farage deliver what he promises?
Farage’s programme offers a clear political argument: Britain has recovered substantial powers through Brexit, and a Reform government should use those powers more aggressively.
But implementing that programme would require detailed decisions across several policy areas. Removing regulations would mean identifying which rules should change and assessing the effects on trade and industry. Reforming immigration enforcement would require workable legal procedures and cooperation with other countries. Withdrawing from international agreements would involve wider constitutional and diplomatic consequences.
Energy policy would also require decisions about investment, infrastructure, environmental commitments and the long-term security of supply.
The cost and impact of these measures would depend on the precise legislation and administrative arrangements adopted. Political promises alone cannot establish whether they would achieve the intended results.
For voters, the key questions are therefore practical: which laws would change, what would replace them, how would the proposals be funded, and what evidence would demonstrate that they were working?
A new battle over the meaning of Brexit
Farage’s pledge to deliver Brexit properly marks another stage in his attempt to make the issue central to the next general election. His programme combines tighter immigration enforcement, regulatory divergence, withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights and a different approach to energy policy. <Cite refs={[“turn969432view0″,”turn969432view1”]}/>
His supporters see these proposals as a way to fulfil the expectations of Leave voters and establish a more independent British policy direction. Critics argue that regulatory divergence and withdrawal from international agreements could bring economic, legal and diplomatic costs that need to be weighed against the promised benefits.
Both sides agree, at least, that Brexit has not ended the debate about Britain’s relationship with Europe. The argument has moved from whether the country should leave the EU to how it should use the powers available outside the bloc.
Farage says he knows how to deliver the changes he believes voters were promised in 2016. Whether his approach would produce the results he anticipates would depend on the details of the policies, the response of Britain’s trading partners and the decisions Parliament makes.
The next phase of the Brexit debate will therefore be shaped not only by competing political slogans, but by the practical consequences of the choices Britain makes about borders, regulation, energy and its relationship with Europe.